Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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40. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the process he plans to follow in considering the report on the future of the western rail corridor; when it is likely that this process will be brought to a conclusion; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Galway County Council in a pre-emptive move has sought tenders for the preparation of a feasibility study for a greenway from Athenry to Milltown in which it clearly states the preferred option is to put it on the existing railway line along this route; if he plans to request that the council defer this study while he is considering the report on the western rail corridor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6326/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Last year, under the Carbon Tax Fund, I announced funding would be provided to Galway County Council in relation to a feasibility study of a proposed greenway between Athenry and Milltown.

The tender referred to by the Deputy relates to that funding and, as clearly and unequivocally stated in the published tender documentation, the study will examine a number of route options (as is required under the Public Spending Code) including along the alignment of the currently disused railway line, along with other viable and alternative options that emerge from the feasibility study and the route options assessment. The proposed approach is a very reasonable one and I look forward to its conclusion in due course.

In relation to the Western Rail Corridor, the Deputy is aware that two documents have recently been published on my Department’s website and are available to view through the following link:

The first report is a financial and economic appraisal (sometimes referred to as a preliminary appraisal) of the proposal which was commissioned by Iarnród Éireann, in line with a decision of the previous Government.

The second is an independent review of the proposal, commissioned by my Department.  This review was conducted by JASPERS, an EU/EIB agency which provides advisory services to Member States (and other public authorities in the EU) and has extensive experience in relation to transport infrastructure proposals in European regions.  This independent review noted a number of shortcomings in relation to the proposed re-opening of the Western Rail Corridor Phases 2 and 3 as presented, in particular around issues such as the need to demonstrate the strategic role of the proposal and how it sat within the broader proposed development of the network.

In light of the analyses conducted thus far, and in particular with regard to the findings of the independent review conducted by JASPERS as commissioned by my Department, I have requested my Department to prepare terms of reference for a Strategic Rail Review.  This Review will consider all relevant issues in relation to inter-urban rail, inter/intra-regional rail and rail connectivity to our international gateways, with the latter considering the role of rail freight.  I understand this may be the first such Review to be conducted on an all-island basis and this will, I believe, allow for a fuller consideration of the potential role of rail and the network required to support that potential than perhaps has been allowed before.  

While I am hopeful that the terms of reference will be agreed and the procurement process launched by the end of Q1, the ultimate duration of the Review will be determined by the work programmes submitted in response to that process.  This will be one of the most significant reviews of the rail on the island in many years and will provide a framework to develop a much-improved rail network in the years ahead.